John

It’s been a busy time for me lately; at work, school, and church activities so I’m sorry it’s been a while since my last post.

The Medders Nation is doing very well just so you know. Aimee finished her school semester maintaining a 4.0 GPA, and Caleb is talking and running around faster than we can keep up sometimes. We had a nice get together with Aimee’s family for Thanksgiving at John and Beth’s house where Caleb got to play with a bunch of his cousins.

On a sad note, the other day I sold my amazing smartphone that I owned for almost 2 years. The HTC HD2 was the best phone I ever had, but I got a great price for it and if I waited any longer it might not have been the case, so there is my upside. Sorry to mention my phone in this post, but those of you reading this probably know I’m very passionate about phones.

We bought a new camera on Black Friday so we can capture Caleb’s moments in better quality to share with you. The camera is a Canon Rebel T3 DSLR and performs far better than our previous point and shoot, pocket camera. Included below are some single shots and a slideshow of pics from this week.

This week I provided technical support for a workshop at our most capable conference room on base at the General Patton Museum and captured a couple pics while I was there. I brought our camera to work that day, because there was a rumor Kid Rock might make an appear at the Meals for Soldiers event also happening at the museum. Unfortunately, the rock star was a no-show, but it was fun to spread the rumor and the excitement was welcomed among the museum staff.

Also check out the cool soap stone ice cubes I bought online. These are great for chilling bourbon without watering down the grand flavor of a good drink (Basil Hayden in this case). The stones get rinsed after each use and then stored in the freezer. Want to keep your drink warm? Toss a couple in the microwave for 30 seconds and BAM! Keeps your drink warm. That’s awesome!

This weekend we are headed to French Lick to stay in a hotel with an indoor water park for some summer-like fun. This town has a deep history with some beautiful buildings and we are also expecting the Christmas decorations to be pretty cheerful.

I hope everyone is doing well. On a side note, I am pleased to announce my younger sister found out recently that they are expecting a baby girl next summer. Congrats, Francisco, Rebecca, and Isabella! We can’t wait to meet her!

Halloween is coming to a close for the MeddersNation, but I have to say we had a wonderful time and it was exciting to watch Caleb pridefully glide around on his Strider balance bike in his Evel Knievel costume that Aimee and I had the pleasure of putting together.

Festivities officially started on the 16th when we went to Bernheim Forest for Colorfest with the FirquinNation and then a little over a week ago Caleb visited a farm down the road from our house called Wooden Farms to pick out some pumpkins and gourds. This past Saturday, we attended the 2nd Annual Barzee Pumpkin Carving Party at John and Beth’s house followed by Trunk or Treat at Allen and Beth’s church on Sunday. The parking lot was blocked off, trunks were decorated, and flash mob dancing was in full effect. Caleb wore his M and M costume for this event and his day care party on Monday.

Halloween night: Daddy rushed home from work a half an hour early to help get Caleb ready, then we headed out the door to catch up with the rest of the gang, and to tear up the streets! Caleb rode his Strider practically the entire time we were trick or treating; only showing fatigue with about a block and half to go. He climbed up hills, through the grass, and up stairs to get candy from happy greeters. He said the magic words, “Trick or treat” and kindly said, “Thank you” after receiving treats. Riding his Strider and sporting that awesome Evel Knievel costume drew a lot of attention from kids and parents alike as he strode from door to door. Most of the time, he just wanted to ride down the sidewalk and we had to remind him to, “Follow your cousins” so he would make the sharp rights towards candy-giver’s doors. Aimee had such a great idea and I’m thankful we were able to compile it into a costume he was comfortable wearing. Great job Aimee! What will you come up with next year?

Thanks to all the family we walked along with tonight! We know that Caleb absolutely loves being around his cousins and it is times like this we cherish most of all.

We are spending the evening at John and Beth’s carving all the pumpkins Richie bought and hanging by the fire listening to music. Caleb and Zak took a timeout from running around to dance to some music coming from the exterior speaker John wired up recently. Thanks for a great evening Johnand Beth!

Our focus on Easter started when we attended the brilliant Easter pageant at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, KY. The event was amazing, the house was full, and I imagine everyone in the audience shed at a tear or two during the dozen or so performances put on this year. Southeast Christian Church spared no details making the experience feel realistic with livestock like camels, sheep, goats, chickens, and more. They also had angels descending from the ceiling, a waterfall at one point, a large, lazy-susan on the stage to add and remove scenery enhancements, and Jesus ascending into heaven at the end.

Southeast Christian Easter Pageant

Mentioned in my last post was the pre-egg hunt Caleb was able to attend in New Haven, KY thanks to Allen and Beth (see previous post here).

The Thursday before Easter, Aimee and I attended the Stations of the Cross exhibit at The Bridge Community Church in Elizabethtown, KY. The event was very personal as you take a self paced tour looking at several paintings of what Jesus did for us from the Garden of Gethsemane to his death on the cross. It was an intimate to reflect on how He must have felt during his final days on Earth. See the online gallery on Facebook.

Jesus on the cross

On Saturday, we headed to John and Beth’s house in Hodgenville, KY for time with family and friends. The weather had been pretty bad the day before and we were expecting more rain that night, but we still managed to keep the kiddos semi-dry as they hunted for eggs in the front yard. Caleb had lots of fun carrying his basket and putting eggs in it one by one. Near the end it got a little heavy for him and it was cute to watch him placing his elbow to his hip for extra support. See the slideshow of Saturday and Sunday below.

Sunday concluded our Easter experience with a trip to Severns Valley Baptist Church for their Easter service and then to Tim and Renee’s (both in Etown) for a Turkey lunch and some egg painting. This was Caleb’s first time painting eggs and he had his cousin’s Sami, Brittany, and Trey to help him out. Thanks to everyone for letting us share this time with them and we look forward to doing it again next year! Here’s a video of him painting an egg and another video of Southeast Christian’s Easter Pageant on my YouTube channel.